St. Stephen Catholic School
October 24, 2024
Important updates in this week's Tidbits
Boo Gram Sales
Trunk or Treat/Pumpkin Patch
Christmas Card Contest
Volunteer Opportunities
Afterschool Programs
31st SSMC Golf Scramble
Angel Among Us Save the Date
Home Game Schedule
Homeroom Mom Emails
Principal's Points
Good Afternoon St. Stephen Families!
We were thrilled to welcome back our PK students on Tuesday! Their classrooms have been cleaned and remediated, and while some sheetrock still needs to be replaced, it doesn’t affect the use of the space. We hope to complete these repairs over an upcoming break. Unfortunately, many items were lost on the playground and in the classrooms, but we are working diligently to replace everything as quickly as possible.
The Angel’s Wing room has also been remediated and is now safe for use. However, there is significant damage to one corner of the exterior wall. We will complete the necessary repairs before moving students back into the room. In the meantime, Mrs. MacLaren and Mrs. Heidorn are making use of the ESE room for their class.
We invite everyone to stop by our Pumpkin Patch after school tomorrow or during Trunk or Treat! Your support helps our PTCO, and all the funds raised go directly toward benefiting all students. Another event we encourage you to support is the Men’s Club Golf Scramble. You don’t need to be a golfer to make an impact—all proceeds from this event will go toward hurricane relief. You can find their flyer below.
Finally, please remember our annual Mustang Walkathon and this is one of the two events that allow each family to meet its $250 fundraising obligation. This year, the funds will help with several key projects, including a kitchen in the FLC so we can serve lunch and possibly adding an awning over the sidewalk for carline. Additionally, some of the funds will be used to replace playhouses on the PK playground. With so much work ahead, we appreciate your generosity and hope you’ll ask friends and family to join in supporting the Walkathon.
Let us continue to place our trust in God, remembering that "He is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble" (Psalm 46:1).
Peace,
Linda Umoh
Upcoming Events
October 1-25 - Boo Gram Sales
October 25 - Marvelous Mustang 8am
October 25 - Noon Dismissal
October 25 - Trunk or Treat/Pumpkin Patch
October 31 - Halloween Shirt and Jean Day
October 31 - Christmas Card Contest Entry Deadline
November 1 - All Saints Day
November 4-11 - SVDP Food Drive
November 9-10 - Holy Card Uniform Weekend
November 11 - Holy Card Free Dress
November 12 - End of Trimester 1
November 14 - Report Card Day
November 15 - Spirit Shirt and Jean Day
November 15 - Walkathon
November 15 - Noon Dismissal
November 15 - Parent/Teacher Conferences
November 15 - Middle School Social
Joke of the week
What salutation does a vampire use to start a letter?
See below for the answer.
Opportunity to Earn Volunteer Hours
In October, our Bishop requests that all Parishes in the Diocese conduct a Mass attendance count during the month of October. This would not be possible to do without your help! If you are available to volunteer 30 minutes before Mass to count for Mass attendance, please sign-up using this link. School families may earn 1 volunteer hour for each Mass they help with.
Student Council
Boo Gram Sales Extended till
October 25th
Hey Ghouls and Ghosts! It's spooky season! Buy you friends a spooky treat this Halloween!
WHEN: Oct. 1 - 25
WHERE: Homeroom 7:30-7:50 am
COST: $1 each
Boo Grams will still be distributed on Halloween.
The 2024 SSCS Christmas Card Contest is Here!
Calling all student artists:
All students are invited to participate in the annual SSCS Christmas Card Contest. Card designs should reflect the seasons of Advent or Christmas and the birth of our Lord. Students should use a plain white 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper. The winning design will be printed on Christmas cards sent out by the school to individuals and schools throughout the Diocese. The student will also receive a set of 25 cards with their design to send to family and friends. All submissions should be students' original artwork and should include the student’s name and grade written on the back in pencil. Designs must be submitted to the front office by Thursday, Oct. 31. Drawings sent in after that date/time will not be considered.
First Grade Thanks the Military
The students of first grade will be creating goodie bags filled with Halloween candy to send to military members overseas as a thank you for their service. They will be sending treats to soldiers in Germany and airmen in Kuwait as a class service project.
You can help by donating candy that your children did not like or candy that you had left over after Halloween. All kinds of candy excluding chocolate will be collected and the first graders will assemble treat bags with personal notes to the soldiers and airmen. If you have extra Halloween candy, please have your child bring it to school by 11/8.
This service project is an amazing way for our students to be kind and show appreciation to those who are far away from home protecting us and our country. Our first graders thank you for helping them with their project.
Hello Mustang Families!
We’ve got some exciting news from the PTCO and Mustang Walkathon Chairs, and we can’t wait to share it with you! This year’s fundraiser is all about teamwork, school spirit, and making a BIG impact for our students. This year, fundraising money will go towards projects in the works and others we are considering. Read Principal's Points for more details.
So, how are we going to hit our goal? With a little friendly competition, of course!
This year, our 3rd through 8th graders and staff will be going head-to-head—not by grade, but by team colors! Thanks to our middle school houses (St. Therese, St. Michael, St. Jude, and St. Francis), all students will be assigned to a color team to rally behind. It’s time to show off your team spirit and compete for the GOLD with the most donations, participation, and, of course, enthusiasm!
And don’t worry—our little Mustangs aren’t missing out. Pre-K through 2nd grade will represent the Angels Team, proudly sporting white, silver, and gold.
This Friday, we’re kicking off the fun with a student Pep Rally where the team assignments will be revealed! Middle schoolers will welcome 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders into their house colors: St. Therese - Pink, St. Michael - Blue, St. Francis - Orange, and St. Jude - Green. Even our teachers and staff will be joining in on the fun, so get ready to see who’s repping which team!
It’s all building up to the big event: Our Annual Mustang Walkathon on November 15th! Get your gear ready, accessorize in your team colors, and help raise those donations!
Don’t forget to post pictures and share your donation link with family and friends and ask them to choose your student’s team on the website. Remember, there's a fundraising requirement of $250 per family, and this is the perfect way to knock that out while having fun and supporting the school!
We can’t wait to see which team will take home the win! Who are YOU cheering for?
Let’s go, Mustangs!
The Walkathon Committee 2024
The Walkathon Committee 2024
You can click on the QR code to get to the Men's Club website.
Gift Ideas for Christmas
Spirit Wear Online Store
The SSCS online store is open for your Holiday shopping. Check out the Mustang Christmas items for surprise gifts for your special SSCS student. The store will be open through 11/17 only and BEFORE CHRISTMAS DELIVERY IS GUARANTEED. All proceeds benefit our PTCO and help fund activities for our students.
Please contact ngallagher@sscsfl.org with any questions.
Coming Soon
The Pre-Angels silent Auction
Mustang Sports
MUSTANG SPORTS:
Girls Volleyball -The girls varsity volleyball team beat Corpus Christi, two games to zero, in the quarterfinals, and Villa Madonna, two games to zero, in the semifinals to advance to the Catholic League championship match. The top seeded Mustangs will host 2nd seed Christ the King today here at St. Stephen in the FLC at 4:00 pm. This is the first time the varsity volleyball team has advanced to the championship match. The Mustangs have played Christ the King two times this season and have split those matches, winning one and losing one, so it should be a great match.
Coed Soccer-The soccer team has really been playing well and has an overall record of 6 wins and 1 loss, and is in second place. The Mustangs beat Christ the King, 2-1, in extra time, with the goals scored by brothers, Benjamin and Matthew B. They also beat Incarnation, 4-1, with the goals scored by Benjamin B., Matthew B., Evan K., and Diego M. The Mustangs have to play the second half of their game against Mother Teresa that was postponed at halftime due to lightning earlier in the month. They will host Mother Teresa on Monday at St. Stephen at 4:15 pm to conclude the regular season. The Mustangs will host playoff games on Tuesday and Wednesday here at St. Stephen at 4:00 pm. The opponents for those games are still to be determined.
Boys JV & varsity track practice starts next week. Practice is Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, from 3:00-4:30 pm. Boys planning on participating should sign up with Coach Green by tomorrow.
Girls varsity basketball tryouts are the week of November 4-8. A finalized date for tryouts will be posted next week.
GO MUSTANGS
Coach Green
Homeroom Mom Emails
ANSWER to the Joke of the Week:
Tomb it may concern....
COVID 19 Decision Tree
Safe Environment Training and Fingerprints
Everyone needs updated safe environment training and fingerprints in order to volunteer in the school or to chaperone a field trip. Safe environment and fingerprints are good for 5 years. Attached here are the instructions on how to get your safe environment certificate and to have your fingerprints done. If you have any questions please contact Karen Biase at kbiase@sscsfl.org or call the front office at ext. 1100. Click the link for information here regarding fingerprints. Click for the live link here. For the safe environment click here for the live link .
Check out our
Mustang News morning show!
You can join our Mustang News team each morning at 7:50 as we stream live on YouTube to begin the day with prayers, the pledge of allegiance, and news. Subscribe to our channel here.
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Mission Statement
St. Stephen Catholic School is devoted to inspiring students to achieve their full academic potential while demonstrating a desire to continue Jesus' mission by applying Catholic morals, beliefs, values, and practices in their everyday lives. We are committed to motivating students to sustain a lifelong love of learning.